Samantha Hale
November 26, 2013
WMNST 101
Roberts
Research Paper:
Kids Having Kids
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Teen pregnancy has become a huge issue for women in the United States. Teen pregnancy had seen a decline, but is now on the rise once again. Teen pregnancies carry many health risks not only for mother, but the baby as well. There are also many problems that take place after the girl’s give birth as well. Teenage girls who are becoming pregnant and having babies is an issue we need to take seriously and help prevent.
Many teenage girls who become pregnant do no plan to, but many do. This causes many risks for the young mothers. “Because the body of a teen is still growing, she will need more nutritional support to meet both her’s and that of her baby” (Kost). The nutritional needs that need to be met usually include the necessary daily intake of prenatal vitamins, folic acid, and eating healthy and nutritious foods. This is not inexpensive. The necessary vitamins and healthy foods are usually high in cost in comparison to other foods and because most teenagers do not have a job, this could be a problem. Also, many teenage girls who become pregnant are scared to tell their parents and family, so they tend to wait as long as they can. Instead of receiving nutrition and counseling right away, many teens fall into denial. This can also cause health problems to the expectant mother. Many serious health problems of the expectant mother can include low weight gain, anemia, and fatigue.
Health problems are not the only things young mothers have to deal with. “Teenage births are associated with lower annual income for the mother. Eight percent of teen mothers must reply on welfare at some point” (Swierzewski). A lot of this it due to the fact that teenage mothers drop out of school. “Only about one-third of teen mothers obtain a high school diploma” (Swierzewski). This is compared to 90% of young girls without having a baby at a young age. With this being said,...